Fungicidal compositions



Patented Aug. 12, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUNGICIDAL COMPOSITIONS Wilbie S. Hinegardner, Niagara Falls, and Norman D. Scott, Sanborn, N. Y., assignors to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington,

Del., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application May 2, 1945, Serial No. 591,635

6 Claims.

This invention relates to volatile fungicides and 'more particularly to fungicides in which formaldehyde vapor is an active fungicidal agent. v Formaldehyde vapor has been used extensively in the past to fumigate or disinfect rooms and other enclosed areas in an attempt to kill bacteria and fungi. Various devices such as formaldehyde candles, which volatilize a formaldehyde solution upon burning. and a chemical reaction between part of the formaldehyde solution, and an oxidizing agent to furnish heat to volatilize part of the remainder have been tried to get sufliclent vapor into an enclosure to be of value as a disinfectant. Formaldehyde is also obtained by allowing paraformaldehyde, a linear polymer of formaldehyde sold commercially under that name, to evaporate.

Formaldehyde is used for disinfecting and fumigating because it kills many species of bacteria and fungi, small amounts are not, particularly harmful, and its disagreeable odor warns anyone to keepout of the area. However, formaldehyde vapor is not effective 7 against many species of fungi, of which the common molds are examples, and relatively high concentrations are required together with carefulIcontrol of humidity and temperature if it is to kill fungi in substantial numbers. Furthermore, many species of fungi are not killed by any practically attainable concentration of formaldehyde vapor. Paraformaldehyde does not give off sufiicient vapor when exposed at ordinary temperatures to be of much value as a fungicide.

This invention has as an object a volatile fungicide that will kill essentially all fungi in an enclosed area and protect valuable materials from damage or destruction by fungus growth. A further object is to prepare an effective fungicide from paraformaldehyde that will effectively prevent the growth of all fungi when allowed to evaporate in an enclosed area. A further object is to devise a fungicide based on erties of the two constituents as shown in the examples presented later. This additional effect, known as synergism, is unexpectedly large in the case of paraformaldehyde. No other'material than paraformaldehyde, of a large numparaformaldehyde that does not require special formaldehyde becomes the minor constituent of the mixture of two materials, that is 25 per cent or less, such mixtures are usually no longer completely fungicidal even though they are still more highly fungicidal than paraformaldehyde alone. The preferred concentration is -90 per cent paraformaldehyde.

Sym.-trichloroaniline, also termed 2,4,6-trichloroaniline, is a well-known compound having the formula C'sH2C13.NH2. 'It is a solid compound, melting at 77.5 C. and boiling at 262 C.

We have discovered that sym.-trichloroaniline, when mixed in the proportion of 5-50 per cent with paraformaldehyde exhibits the above-described synergistic effect and forms a completely fungicidal vapor when allowed to vaporize into an enclosed space.

Example 1 Ninety grams of commercial paraformaldehyde powder was mixed with ten grams of powdered crystalline sym.-trichloroaniline and the mixture pelleted to approximately 0.1 g.. each.,

cup cemented in the center and the other a coat ing of standard nutrient agar asa medium for growing fungi. The nutrient agar was inocul'ated separately with six resistant species of fungi equally spaced in a circular pattern, namely Monilia Lspf, Aspergillusniger, Penicillium sp., Spica'ria sp., Rhizopus sp. and Gliocladium, fimbriatum. /One pellet of the material to be tested as a fungicide was placed in the cup and the half that had been inoculated inverted over the first" part and their edges sealed together with adhesive tape. The Petri dishes were incubated at 30 C. for five days. The amount of growth for each species was recorded daily for the five days. Any fungi not growing during this time was transferred to fresh nutrient agar away from the fungicide to determine whether that species had been killed or merely prevented from growing; that is, to determine whether the action was fungicidal or merely fungistatic to that species of fungi. I

In a number of tests one half of the spicies grew in the dish containing paraformaldehyde pellets. Five of the six species grew in the dish with the trichloroaniline. The dish with the mixed paraformaldehyde-trichloroaniline pellet had no growth and none of the species grew on transfer to a new medium.

The above procedure was repeated with a mixture containing per cent by weight of paraformaldehyde to per cent of the trichloroaniline. This mixture was also completely fungicidal, killing all six species of fungi tested.

Example 2 The three types of pellets described in Example 1 were further tested in similar chambers made from six-inch Petri dishes, but with ten additional resistant tropical fungi; namely, Mom'lia crassa, Penicillium sp. (2 specimens), Aspergillus sp., Aspergz'llus flaous, Stachybotrys sp., trichum roseum, Alternaria sp., Asperyillus chevalieri, and Mucor sp. When paraformaldehyde was used alone only two of the fungi were killed. Sym.trichloroaniline alone killed only per cent of these fungi. However, a mixture of the two compounds containing 5-50 per cent of trichloroaniline killed all ten fungi in every test. This test was also repeated with the mixture of paraformaldehyde and trichloroaniline at 21-25 C. (room temperature). Again no species grew after inoculation nor upon transfer.

Example 3 Example 1 was repeated on a mixture of paraformaldehyde 25 per cent+sym.-trichloroaniline per cent. This mixture allowed only two species of fungi to grow.

Example 4 Example 3 was repeated, except that the paraformaldehyde concentration was decreased to 10 per cent. The mixture allowed two species to grow.

The fungicidal compositions of matter herein described are solids that can be used as a powder I or for convenience can be compressed into pellets. A small amount of lubricant such as magnesium stearate can be added to improve pelleting. Except for the lubricant, these pellets are almost completely volatile and leave essentially no residue for disposal.

If desired, other materials may be incorporated in the mixtures, such as finely divided solid inert diluents, or other fungicidal materials may be added. For some purposes, insecticides or known bactericides may also be added. The mixtures can be incorporated in suitable non-aqueous liquids for spraying purposes, for example in a liquid hydrocarbon.

For some purposes, the trichloroaniline can be used alone, i. e. in the absence of paraformaldehyde. in combination with various diluents or other conventional ingredients as described above, to prepare fungicidal compositions.

These pellets or powdered mixtures offer a most convenient means for obtaining a fungicidal atmosphere in an enclosed space, but this method of making use of this synergistic effect is intended in no way to limit the scope of this invention The two constituents can be introduced separately into the enclosed space without previous mixing. Thus, formaldehyde vapor can be added by any means and 10-50 per cent of the Sporosecond constituent can be introduced before or after the formaldehyde. If this mixed vapor is kept in the enclosed space by any means, it will still be fungicidal.

These mixtures are fungicidal within the range of temperature that fungi commonly grow and. at any higher temperature desired.

The fungicidal compositions of matter described under this invention may be used to pro tect materials from fungi (molding) in any enclosed area where fungi grow. Materials stored in damp basements especially in hot weather nearly always mold. Leather goods. which are very apt to mold, can be preserved by these mixtures. Things packed for tropical shipment can be kept free of fungi. Molds in garbage pails can be prevented by this means. These volatile fungicides do not need to be placed in the materials to be protected. since the vapor alone will protect. In this way they are superior to contact fungicides. They are particularly effective in warm, damp places, since watervapor does not react with them to destroy their fungicidal properties, and fungi are prone to grow rapidly under. such conditions.

The fungicidal mixtures claimed herein are essentially completely fungicidal under conditions usually encountered in enclosed spaces and are easy to apply. Elaborate or expensive equipment is not required. The fungicidal mixtures claimed herein are sufliciently harmless for general use.

We claim: I

1. A fungicidal composition comprising a mixture of paraformaldehyde and sym.-trichloroaniline.

2. A fungicidal composition comprising a mixture of paraformaldehyde and sym.-trichloroaniline containing at least 50 per cent by weight of paraformaldehyde.

3. A fungicidal composition comprising a mixture of paraformaldehyde and sym.-trichloroaniline containing from 50 per cent to about per cent by weight of paraformaldehyde.

4. The method for preventing growth of fungi in an enclosed space which comprises simultaneously introducing into said space vapors of formaldehyde and sym.-tricholoroaniline.

5. The method for preventing growth of fungi in an enclosed space which comprises simultaneously introducing into said space vapors of formaldehyde and sym.-trichloroaniline in such proportion that the formaldehyde vapor constitutes at least 50 per cent by weight of the combined vapors.

6. The method for preventing growth of fungi WILBIE S. HENEGARDNER. NORMAN D. SCOTT.

' REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Siegler et al., U. S. D. A. Circular No. 523, May 1939. p ge 4.

Guy, University of Delaware Agri. Expt. Station Bulletin No. 206, February 1937, page 58. 

